European Kingdoms

Germanic Tribes

Hermunduri
(Suevi)

The Hermunduri (or Hermanduri) appear to have been one of many tribes with mixed
ancestry, both Celtic and
Germanic, as they are
frequently included in either group. In the first century AD they were located
in central Germania, generally occupying a wide swathe of territory southwards
from the Elbe, along the line of the River Saale. The Bohemian Forest was on
their eastern flank while the
Roman province of Germania
Superior was to the west. Neighbouring them were tribes such as the
Cherusci,
Semnones,
Marcomanni,
Naharvali,
Osi,
Lugii, plus the Raeti to the
south, and the Chatti to the
north-west.

They were one of the early tribes to emerge into history in central Germany
in the first century AD, but remained fairly obscure. Little detailed
knowledge exists of them, and there is an almost total absence of the names
of tribal leaders, revealing that they had little substantial political or
military contact with Rome - and yet they were counted by Rome as one of
the best trading contacts possessed by the empire. By around AD 200 they
had disappeared, their cohesion largely destroyed by warfare. Their remnant
was possibly absorbed by the
Alemanni confederation which
had formed close to their tribal lands, and their territory later lay within
Thuringia.

The Hermunduri were generally lumped together by the Romans as Germans, or
Germani. The construction 'Ger-man' breaks down into 'ger' (still used
in English as 'gar', the name of a fish) meaning spear, and 'man' which is unchanged
in meaning. 'Her-man' is another form of the word. It was likely to have been
formed of 'ger' for a spear and 'ker' for an army of spearmen, for which 'k'
was softened to an 'h'. Some sources suggest quite wrongly that Germani
means 'neighbour' or 'men of the forest'. Instead, the possessors of this
name were tough, fierce killers and would not have named themselves anything quite
so friendly. The Romans introduced Germani because they consistently
heard both forms from the Germans themselves: 'herman' as in Hermunduri,
and 'german', because these warriors called themselves just that: spearmen.
The Heruli
and Cherusci names may also derive from or contain this root word for spear,
meaning an army (of spears).

The tribe was also counted as part of the
Suevi confederation, a wide-ranging
collection that also included the Alemanni confederation, along with the
Langobards,
Marcomanni, Quadi, and Semnones.
Some elements of the Marcomanni further south later formed part of the
Bavarii
confederation, at the start of the sixth century. The term 'suevi' seems to
have been used almost casually to describe a wide range of German peoples.

(Additional information by Edward Dawson, and from The
La Tene Celtic Belgae Tribes in England: Y-Chromosome Haplogroup R-U152 -
Hypothesis C, David K Faux. Other major sources listed in the 'Barbarian Europe' section
of the Sources page.)

fl AD 19 - 50

Vibil / Vibilius

Earliest-known leader of the tribe.

AD 19

Vibil is involved in the exile of a young nobleman of the
Marcomanni tribe named Catualda
around this date, or perhaps shortly before it. Catualda returns in this
year (perhaps as the puppet of a
Roman
plot to sow discord).

20

Strabo places the Langobards
near the mouth of the Elbe at this time. They are in frequent and close relations with
the Hermunduri and Semnones,
two great Suebic tribes who
dwell higher up the stream (further up river, along the tributary of the
Saale). Strabo seems to suggest that in his time the
Hermunduri and Langobards had been driven from the left to the right bank of
the Elbe. However, in the case of the Hermunduri this cannot be a
long-lasting situation as they are soon to be found back on the left
(southern) bank of the Elbe.

50

Vannius of the Quadi
shows an inclination to rebuild the
Marcomanni
confederation, so
Rome
instigates an insurrection to solve what it sees as a problem on its
borders. The regnum Vannianum breaks up following the insurrection which
is led by the nephews of Vannius, Wangio and Sido, and supported by the Hermunduri.
Vannius is deposed and later dies in unknown circumstances. Wangio gains the
leadership of the Quadi while Sido gains that of the Hermunduri. Who now
rules the Marcomanni is entirely unknown.

As recorded by Tacitus, the Hermunduri and Chatti
fight a great battle. Each of them is vying for control of the rich
salt-producing river which flows between them. Besides their passion for
settling everything by force, Tacitus says, they hold a religious conviction
that this region is close to heaven so that men's prayers receive ready
access. In the battle, the Chatti are defeated with a disastrous result. In
the event of victory, both sides have vowed their enemies to the gods Tiu (Tyr)
and Wotan (Wodan). The vow implies the sacrifice of the entire defeated side
with their horses and all their possessions.

98

Tacitus, writing around this time, describes the Hermunduri as perhaps
the best-known Germans as far as
Rome
is concerned. They are the only tribe to carry on extensive trade
with the empire, and individual Hermunduri are the only Germans
to be allowed into Roman cities without armed escorts. Their name is used as
the source of the Latin word that is adapted to describe the entire people,
the Germanii. They are also viewed as being part of the
Suevi's
confederation of tribes.

166 - 169

A Marcomanni confederation is formed which also includes elements from many
other tribes including the Iazyges, Sarmatians, and elements of the
Suevi confederation which
includes the
Quadi. Together they cross
the Danube and invade Dacia, penetrating as far as
Italy and forcing the
Roman
emperor, Marcus Aurelius, to spend the rest of his life campaigning in the
Danube region to contain the problem, which he does (to an extent) with a
further defeat of them in 180.

Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius had
concentrated on defining the Roman empire's borders, defending
the territory they had. That would have included building watch
towers along the limes in the Danube region which the
Marcomanni managed to break through

180

Marcus Aurelius dies while conducting what would have been a final
Roman
campaign against the most dangerous barbarian
Germanic tribes across
the Danube. It is formed of an alliance which is under
Marcomanni leadership
and includes Dacians,
Peucini, and Sarmatians.
As it is, the problem is never fully resolved.

c.200

Having been broken during the Marcomannic Wars
against Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Hermunduri are now absorbed into a
new confederation of smaller tribes called the
Alemanni. Until at least
the sixth century, it is likely that each tribe in the confederation
largely rules itself, with a possible over-king simply providing military
leadership in times of trouble. Large numbers of Hermunduri may also be
absorbed by the Thuringians
in the third century.